Helen (Ellen) Sullivan 1856 - 1881

Helen (Ellen) Sullivan was born in 1856 at Weranga. Margaret McLaren was 17 years of age.

Helen was called Ellen on some subsequent occasions and records. After accompanying her parents for the first 13 or 14 years of her life (refer The Sullivans in Court) she probably returned to Weranga around 1870.

In 1874 Helen gave birth to her first child, Mary Jane Sullivan, who was born illegitimately at Weranga. ​

The children and grandchildren of Helen (Ellen) Sullivan.TO BE CONFIRMED!

1874 Mary Jane Sullivan part birth certificate.

April 1874 Alexander McLaren was arrested and appeared in court to defend charges of deserting his child.

4 Apr 1874 Dalby HeraldDALBY POLICE COURT. Saturday, March 28.​Before the Police Magistrate and Mr. Skelton. Ellen Sullivan charged Alexander McLaren with deserting his child and leaving her without means for its support.

Senior-Constable Warner proved the apprehension of defendant at about 14 miles from Dalby, by virtue of a warrant which he produced. The accused was remanded to Thursday next.

Thursday, April 2. Before the Police Magistrate and Mr. Skelton.Alexander McLaren appeared on remand from Saturday. Mr. Harris appeared for complainant, Mr. Chubb for defendant.​After hearing the evidence for complainant, the defendant was put into the box by Mr. Harris, and swore a distinct and emphatic denial to the complainant's statement. No other witnesses were called, and the defendant was discharged.

Q & A: Questions and (possible) Answers:

Q1. Are we sure that person arrested was Alexander McLaren, the son of Malcolm, and not another person by the same name?A4. Perhaps more investigation may be necessary, but it seems highly likely that the man charged was Malcolm's son and hence Helen's (half) uncle.

Q2. Is there any evidence that suggests Alexander McLaren, son of Malcolm, was in the Weranga area?A2. Weranga (see map on Margaret McLaren's page) is near Loudoun Station**. There is evidence that Alexander may have been working at Loudoun - see the 1875 list of Loudoun Station hospital subscribers. He was also in the process of selecting land in that area.

Q3. Is there any evidence that either Alexander or Helen's mother, Margaret, were not Malcolm’s children, and hence Alexander was not related to Helen?A3. No.

Q4. Why would Helen have made the charges?A4. The charges were laid within 2 weeks after the birth of Mary Jane Sullivan. Helen was unmarried and it appears she was in desperate straits.

Q5. Is it possible that Alexander McLaren (25) and Helen (17) were not aware that they were related?A5. It would be surprising if Alexander and Helen were not aware of their common McLaren blood. ​

Q6. Why were no witnesses called to support Helen's claims?A6. Either Mr. Harris failed to perform his duties to the utmost, or there were no witnesses to back up Helen's claims. For the claim to be successful, Mr. Harris needed to make a waterproof case that Alexander was the child's father. On various occasions, Mr. Harris represented Donald McLaran, Alexander's brother, in Dalby Courthouse.

** Loudoun was carved out of St Ruth in 1860. After the separation of Queensland, St Ruth was too large to comply with the new Queensland Lands Act.​​

Sometime after 1874, Helen may have returned to the Taroom area. She married Neville Henry (Harry) Conquest (1852 - 1913) on 15 Apr 1879.

Feb and Mar 1881 Ellen Sullivan, first Australian-born McLaren descendant, and her infant son, John Henry Conquest, died at Taroom.

18 Mar 1881 Brisbane CourierDEATHS. CONQUEST. On the 28th February, at Taroom, Ellen, beloved wife of H. Conquest (manager), Broadmere Station, aged 25 years; much regretted. Also on the 7th March, at Broadmere Station, Taroom, John Henry, only son of Henry and Ellen Conquest, from convulsions, aged 16 months.​

Q & A: Questions and (possible) Answers:​Q1. Where is Broadmere Station?A1. Broadmere Station is located 40 km north west of Taroom adjoining Hornet Bank and Glenhaughton. Currently it is around 85,000 acres in size and is recognised as good cattle fattening and breeding country. It is east of Expedition National Park.

Q2. Who are the Conquest Family and what became of Harry Conquest?A2. The Conquest family came to Queensland from Victoria. As followers of the sport of kings may expect, Henry (Harry) Conquest was involved in horse racing. Bronco Conquest ​of Breakfast Creek fame was his nephew. Harry married Annie Smyth (1862 - 1924) in 1884. They had 8 children.

​Q3. What happened to Mary Jane Sullivan?A3. Mary Jane Sullivan, aged 7 in 1881, may have been raised by the Conquest family before moving to Sydney. ​On 16 Aug 1956 Mary Jane Sullivan, aged 82, passed away in Sydney. Little is known about the life of Malcolm McLaran’s great-granddaughter, perhaps this website may uncover some answers.​Mary married the much older John Coss (1852 – 1921) and bore him sons in 1906 and 1908. Their second son died soon after birth.​The mystery of Mary Jane's father remains.